My first mud run!

Okay, this actually happened way back on November 5, 2011... I am just getting the time (and possibly the courage) to write this post. You see, about 9 months ago Anthony and I decided to do an amazing race called the Tough Mudder. It is 11 hellish miles of mud, obstacles, and a lot of camaraderie. We both fell in love with the race and everything it stands for. There is just one large glaring problem... neither of us could run an 11 mile road race, let alone an obstacle course. Our plan was then set in motion. Start with little intense mud runs and lose weight and gain the strength to run the Mudder in January 2013.

Our journey began with the Rugged Maniac. This race is a 5k through a motocross track. It is complete with 12 foot walls to jump over and fire to go through.This was the perfect place to start. It would be a great challenge and it would motivate us to get where we needed to be for the Mudder.

Pre-race photo op: Logan, Mom, Dad, me, Anthony, and my cous Julia

Now I, unlike many people, read motocross as BMX. For those of you who may not know.... there is a HUGE difference. This motocross track was in a pit. The first leg of the race is just running down into the pit, not too bad really. Once in, you have to run up and down the hills, you have to climb out with not much more than a rope and your own strength, and you have to survive. From there the obstacles begin.

I made it through the first leg. The only thing that kept me moving was the fact that I couldn't just quit. Even if I quit, I would still have to turn around and walk back. It would actually be easier to finish than to quit (in some ways). So I trudged on.

We hit the first obstacle, a tire jungle. No problem! From there we had to jump across logs and scale a couple of moderately sized walls. After those we came to, what I affectionately call, the hill from hell:

The Hill from Hell

I think this was about the point that the obscenities started flying. I'm not very proud of it, but sometimes you can't avoid it in the heat of the moment. I wish that I could say we had been keeping up with skinny speedo boy, but truthfully he was from the wave after us. The first to pass us.

From here there was a 25 foot slide (which almost made my heart stop), a water pit to swim through ( did I mention it was 40 something degrees that day?!?), and more mud to crawl through. It was an intense experience.

Bloody and muddy, but oh so alive!

I am pretty sure I told Anthony that I was going to die about ten times during the race. Do you know what? I didn't! I didn't die! I was sore for three days, I had mud in places I never knew I could get mud, my knees and hands were bloody... but I survived. I made it through stronger. I had accomplished something that scares a lot of people. I crawled through mud under barbed wire, I didn't drown in freezing cold water, I even jumped through fire! There were several obstacles that I skipped, and that's ok.

This was one of the best experiences of my life. I would not trade it for anything. I earned a new different appreciation for my family and for myself. I am stronger than I ever thought I was. I will finish the Mudder next year and I will look and feel amazing doing it. This year we have The Color Run (January), the Gladiator Rock 'n Run (March), and then the Warrior Dash (April). It won't ever be easy, but it will be worth it.

So here's to all of us... Mom, Dad, Logan, Ant, and Julia. We are Rugged, we are awesome, and soon we'll be Tough!



PS: I can't write this and leave off the beer shot, now can I?

For full disclosure: Logan has a water, since he was not yet 21.